Gareth Hughes
Location Chester
Activity
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
I knew some of these but had no idea about the choice to access treatment in another European Economic Area Country. I’m guessing this may change after Brexit?
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Wow. Incredible story. Was really moved by it. I’ve seen the benefits of social prescribing through working in mental health support services. Whether it’s vocational work schemes, recovery college, befriending services or men’s work shop groups, they play such an important role in helping people reestablish links and begin to feel valued and a part of their...
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
Great video Holly. Really interesting to hear about your experience of shared decision making. I can relate to so much of what you felt. The idea of so much time in hospital due to dialysis is one that really scares me. I don’t want to be limited when/if the time comes. I loved how the decision just flowed naturally as a part of a discussion rather than...
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I always take a full medical history with me to any new consultation. They go so fast and you always forget things or find that some information hasn’t been passed on so having an outline you can hand over is very helpful. My sister comes with me when possible, although that has been limited this year, so I find a question list a good alternative.
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
My relationship with my GP is excellent. We discuss options openly and formulate a plan for care, touching base on a regular basis to amend as needed. Really helps with goal setting and managing symptoms.
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Communication
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I also wondered about why the shielding program hasn’t been implemented again. Could it possibly be because that would mean the resources and massive expenses of food delivery programs again or am I just a cynic?
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Agree with Jo. Examples and personal experiences of real people let down by health inequalities would be much more impactful.
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Health inequalities and prejudice still exists, it will never be stamped out completely. I first found out I had a kidney issue at the sexual health clinic where I was gonna start a trial for PREP, a drug gay men can use to protect themselves from getting HIV. When I was being tested for my suitability for the drug, my kidney issues surfaced. I soon learnt...
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
Some great changes. Can really relate to telling your story over and over. Again, it comes down to communication between departments at times. Some have it and other times, it’s like starting from scratch. I have a detailed medical history written up now that I take to new appointments and just say, “start here”. Lol
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Agree with others about the terminology. It’s all very clinical and risks alienating people from engaging. As Mohammed pointed out, most people just don’t talk this way. If we want to reach people at all levels, models need to be simple and jargon free.
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I’m hoping I have the option of home dialysis if it comes to it. I wasn’t aware that it wasn’t a national standard. Quite surprised at that. Surely home dialysis works out cheaper long term and frees up resources at hospital.
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Agree with all of this. A lot of my tenants used to feel fobbed off when given things like mindfulness and gave up very quickly or didn’t want to go back and engage. . I think it’s going to be an uphill battle for things like social prescribing.
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
As mentioned by everyone else, the targets look great but having this flow down and implemented through all levels of staffing is going to take a massive cultural shift. This is a plan that, realistically, will take decades to effectively reach a point where all staff are working to this model. Some staff will be resistant to change and will ignore or return...
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
I was lucky to have an appointment with a locum GP shortly after my diagnosis. His advice has always stayed with me. He told me to become the expert in my care since it was so rare and I would meet many who had no knowledge of it. That’s what I did. I read academic research papers, educated myself in the theory behind the pathogenesis of the disease, emailed...
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
Under nephrology, rheumatology and neurology services within the NHS. The last 18 months has been a wake up call in how the system operates. Two years down the line and still investigating what the underlying auto immune disease is that has triggered my rare kidney condition. Find the excessive waits between each department frustrating. It’s a 4 month wait to...
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
Interesting video. During my time managing supported living services, I found that the services interlinking the NHS were only as good as the weakest link in the chain. There was a tendency to become mired in red tape with one side saying it was a social care responsibility to fund a patient and then another department would come back and say it was a health...
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
Wow. Mitchell’s story was very close to home for me. I got quite emotional watching it. My niece, Danielle, was diagnosed with something very similar at birth, a condition known as Lissencephaly, which basically means “smooth brain”. We also went down the personal health budget route when it was introduced and Danielle lived at home up until the age of 21 when...
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
Hi everyone. I’m Gareth. I’ve been motivated by both my background working in health care and my diagnosis of a long term health condition. Physically, I’m just unable to do the long 12 hour shifts and sleepovers that my job used to entail. However I still have all that experience and a commitment to working in health care. I really feel now that patient...
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
I’ve grown in confidence in leading my care and speaking over the past year. If I have questions or concerns, I have developed a good working relationship with my consultants and can phone or write to them and they will always get back to me quickly. I find writing has been a great option as it allows you to make your points clearly and I’m less likely to...
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Gareth Hughes made a comment
I was diagnosed with a very rare kidney condition in August 2019 which changed my entire life and gave me insight of being on the other side of the mirror. Prior to that, I had worked managing supported living services for people with a mental health condition or a Learning Disability.
My own personal experience of health care has really changed my...
